This invention relates to vehicles, e.g., tractors, having power take-off means, more particularly, to safety means of starting and shutting down the power take-off clutch assembly of the vehicle.
A vehicle, such as a lawn and garden tractor, customarily includes a power take-off system (PTO) to transmit power from the vehicle's engine to an implement attached to the vehicle. The vehicle may include a safety start and shut-down system, which disrupts the flow of current to the engine coil, deactivating the engine when the vehicle operator is improperly stationed within the vehicle. Because the vehicle's drive train may still be engaged, notwithstanding, deactivation of the engine, the momentum of the vehicle will cause continued operation of the vehicle engine for a specific period of time. Because a continued positive communication may exist between the engine and the PTO system, the PTO system will remain in operation for the same time period.
The present invention provides a means whereby should the vehicle's operator be improperly stationed the PTO system can be disengaged independently from the vehicle engine.